


Family Ties

by litra



Series: Dragons and Farm Boys [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Beauty and the Beast Elements, Dragon Gabriel, Fairy Tale Elements, Family, Fluff, M/M, Princess Sam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:17:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10020440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/litra/pseuds/litra
Summary: Dean's been pretty worried about Sam. Going home isn't that easy... or maybe it is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the last installment in this series, hope you enjoy it. :)

The sun was going down. Dean looked around the rocky hillside he’d wandered to. He was lost. Sam had known the countryside, but working at his forge Dean didn’t have time to explore, or find lost sheep or whatever it was Sam had done before the sacrifice.

That had been a month ago. No one had seen Sam since then. People hadn’t really seen the dragon either, except for a few times flying overhead. The village council kept saying that that was a good thing. That the dragon must have liked his sacrifice. Dean had tried to punch the last person who said that. Cas had managed to pull him away. Cas was the only reason he hadn’t gone completely insane.

“Sammy!” Dean shouted into the wind. He had to find his brother. He had to find that blasted dragon and force him to talk, to tell him where Sammy was. Cas had said the dragon would send Sam back to them. He had been so sure, but Sam hadn’t come back.

“Come out here you bastard. Give me my brother back!” Dean stumbled over a rock in the dark and only just managed to keep from falling down the hill. A hand snatched at his shoulder, fingers digging into his wrist and sending a wave of warmth through him. Dean knew that touch and relaxed letting it pull him back upright.

“Cas.”

“Honestly Dean are you trying to get yourself killed?” Cas tugged Dean around. He had a horse at the bottom of the hill. Dean must have been pretty out of it not to see him coming. Then again, Cas always had been a fast and sneaky bastard.

Clearly Dean had waited too long to reply because Cas huffed an irritated breath. “Well, too bad, because I’m not going to let you. When Sam comes back he’d never let me hear the end of it.”

“You keep saying that but…”

“I know, my heart, I know.” Cas pulled Dean close, running his fingers through his short hair. “It will be alright, I promise.”

Dean let Cas hold him for a minute, then his stomach complained and Cas pulled back enough to glare at him again.

“When was the last time you ate?”

I, ah, may have forgotten to bring a pack… again.”

Cas shook his head. “Dean you are taking years off my life. Come on, we’re going home.” He escorted Dean down the hill. The horse Cas had borrowed was used to pulling carts and plows; It wasn’t the most comfortable of rides but he could easily take two passengers.

It was well dark by the time they got home. Dean had slumped down against Cas’s back and was half asleep as they passed through town and turned towards the forge. Claire had kept the lamp burning for them, even though Cas had told her to go to bed. He should probably punish her for that, but he couldn’t argue with the need to have family safe. She was just as worried about Sam as Dean was, she was just better at hiding it.

Cas sighed and nudged Dean to full wakefulness. Dean grunted and slipped off the horse, nearly collapsing before he managed to steady himself on his feet. If it wasn’t so clear that Dean was at the end of his rope Cas would have given him a piece of his mind.

No, the person who really needed to be told off wasn’t his lover or his daughter, it was was his impulsive older brother and the whims that had started this mess. He slid to the ground, and wrapped an arm around Dean’s waist to keep him upright.

“Claire, since you’re still awake you can get the horse settled down.”

“Uncle Sam?”

“Nothing has changed.” Cas said over Dean’s mumbled, “I’m’a find him”

Claire came and took the reigns, letting Cas forcefully escort Dean inside.

 

\----

 

Claire had lived with Cas and Dean for as long as she could remember. They had never hidden the fact that Cas wasn’t actually her papa and Dean wasn’t actually her dad, but they’d always loved her as much as if she was, so she knew it didn’t matter. She may have called Sam her uncle but he was more like an older brother. He was part of the family.

She wasn’t stupid, she knew Sam had gone to the dragon so she didn’t have to. It wasn’t like she was afraid. Her papa said it was a secret even from Dean and Sam but she knew the dragon was good.

Cas said his name was Gabriel and that if anything ever happened to him and Dean she should go find him because he would protect her. Well, if he could be trusted when she was in trouble that meant he could help now, especially because it was his fault. If he had just brought Sam back like Cas said he would than none of this would have happened.

The horse snuffled at her shoulder. She turned and started back towards the inn. The mare was named Pepper and technically she belonged to the innkeeper, Crowley. He only used her once a month through, on his trips to Kingsport. Anyone else who needed her could rent her out for a modest fee. Clair turned around and tugged Pepper back towards the inn.

The streets were dark. Most people were in their homes by now, and the ones who weren’t were drinking at the tavern. No one saw her stop before turning into the stableyard for the inn. The road out of town was right there. It wound through the hills and eventually as far as the capital if you followed it far enough. She had never been that far, but she had been into the rocky fields on this side of the gorge.

It was dark, but she wasn’t afraid. She could find the dragon, she knew she could, but she had to be back before her daddies found out. She was fourteen now, she knew what she was doing, but they still thought she was just a kid. Well, If she made it back before morning they would never know.

She climbed up into Pepper’s saddle. The mare didn’t like the idea of turning away from her stables, but with a bit of encouragement she headed back towards the hills.

 

\----- 

 

Claire was lost. No she wasn’t lost it was just that she’d wandered off the trail. She had to go off the trail anyway to find the dragon. If he was on the trail then everyone would find him. Of course she knew she could find him because she he’d be keeping an eye out for her like her papa said. She just… had to keep going.

Pepper slowed to a stop and snorted out a breath, turning her head back the way they’d come. Claire tugged on the reigns and the horse whinnied.

“Please?” Claire bargained, “Just a little further, I know I’m close.” A dull thud stirred the still night air. She looked up and her heart started pounding. She swallowed and licked her lips. “Dragon?” She had to think for a minute to remember his name. “Gabriel?” There was nothing.

She was cold and tired, but she knew she was close and she had come this far. Plus if she went home now and her dads found out, well, Cas was already mad at Dean and Dean was mad at the world. No she couldn’t go back until she found the dragon, and Sam.

Another thud came from somewhere out in the darkness. “Hello?” She couldn’t see what was out there, but she knew what she’d heard. There was another thud and then another, like something was coming closer. Then her eyes shifted and refocused and suddenly she could see the extra shadow in the dark. The shape in the dark had looked like part of the hill, only it was moving and too big, all lumpy and moving wrong somehow.

Pepper’s ears went back and she nervously pranced in place. Claire did nothing to stop her this time, too transfixed on the thing, slowly coming closer. It stumbled over a bit of rock and slapped out at the ground with a knobby hand. Claire yelped at the thud, and it looked up with a pair of overlarge blind white eyes.

Claire screamed and the horse under her bolted. There was nothing she could do but hold on for her life and prey. Than Pepper lost her footing reared, and Claire was spinning through the air and the dark. She hit the ground, tumbled head over heels. Rocks scraped at her arms, and her dress was quickly covered in mud and grass. 

When she finally rolled to a stop she hurt and she was cold and lost and she just wanted to be home with her dad and her papa and uncle Sam. Tears started welling up and she didn’t try to stop them. It wasn’t like there was anyone there to see her. At least there wasn’t, until the two swirling golden points of light rose up over her. Her sobs turned into a squeak as a voice spoke inside her mind.

“You should not be here.”


	2. Chapter 2

“No, but seriously, you shouldn’t be out here so late.”

Claire clung to Gabriel’s chest as he carried her into his cave. The rock goblin had wandered a bit too close and set off his wards, and once he’d taken care of it it hadn’t been hard to follow the tracks of the spooked horse until he found Claire. He could have flown her home, but the caves were closer and showing up unannounced would probably make Cas throw a fit.

“Hey did you take care of the, Oh--” Sam came out of the kitchen stopping when he saw the girl Gabriel was carrying.

“Yeah everything’s fine. I just found this little one running around the hills in the dark, we got any of that soup left?”

Gabriel set Claire down at the kitchen table. Sam got her a bowl of soup while Gabriel fetched a big robe, and wrapped it over her in lieu of a blanket. When she was settled Sam sat down across from the girl and Gabriel perched on the table. Sam had his arms crossed and was looking at Claire as if he was disappointed in her.

Gabriel figured it made sense. Sam had to know her from the village, and any kid running around after dark like that was likely to get themselves killed. Gabriel may protect the village and claim it as part of his territory but he didn’t know the individual people all that well. They tended to run away screaming whenever he tried to introduce himself. Claire though was a special case, even if he hadn’t seen her since she was an infant.  

“Sam, I take it you know Claire. Claire this is my Sammypop.” He figured he should get that out of the way first, except now they were both staring at him oddly, “What? What’d I say?”

Sam  gestured between himself and Claire, “she’s my niece.”

Gabriel shrugged, “Yeah I guess you could say that, I mean you’re mine and I’m her uncle so, yeah.”

That made Sam look even more confused. Worse, Claire looked confused and a little scared. Well crap, he hadn’t wanted to scare her. She probably didn’t remember him, or not clearly at any rate. Did she think he was going to keep her locked away or something? Admittedly he did have that reputation. 

Sam held up his hands. “Wait, just hold on. Claire is my niece, as in her father Cas, is married to Dean, my brother. How do you know her?”

Gabriel flapped his wings and slid off the table onto one of the chairs. “Huh, so that Dean is your Dean? I kind of figured there had to be two of them from what you’d told me about him. Claire is my niece too. Castiel is my half brother.”

Claire’s eyes went wide. “I have a dragon for an uncle?”

“What Cas didn’t tell you that part? What did he tell you than? And more importantly, if you didn’t know I’d protect you, why were you out in the crags in the middle of the night?”

That made her look down at her soup. “I didn’t, I mean Papa said you’d protect me but It was for emergencies.” Then she looked up again and there was fire in her eyes, “Except Sam didn’t come home and Dean was killing himself looking for him and Cas was really worried too even though he kept saying Sam would come back. I could tell.”

Sam looked down and flushed a little, rubbing at the back of his neck, “yeah that sounds like them.”

Gabriel pushed back his hair. “Okay, we clearly need to get this sorted out, but if I know kids it is way past your bedtime. Finish your soup, while I find you something to sleep on. We can talk about this in the morning.”

Claire started to protest the bedtime thing, but Sam gave her a look that clearly said, don’t get yourself in any more trouble. She picked up her spoon.

They eventually got her sorted out. She’d sleep in the same overly large pile of cushions that they slept in, while Gabriel settled on the other half of his hord in dragon form. Claire froze, then tried to play it off when she came in and saw him like that.

Sam had gotten used to Gabriel and how he took whatever form he wanted. It struck him all over again, the magnitude of what Gabriel was. He ran his fingers over the pendant Gabriel had given him. Sam didn’t deserve him.

Claire rolled over and tried to punch her cussion into shape. Sam chuckled to himself and settled in. He’d have to talk to Gabriel about getting an actual bed. 

 

\---

 

“But Cas isn’t a dragon.” Sam pointed out as he pulled down plates so Claire could set the table. 

Gabriel shrugged. It was clear most of his attention was on getting the pancakes to a perfect shade of golden brown.

“He’s dragonkin and it’s not like I care about the opinions of the old blood anyway.”

“He’s…” Sam tried to remember if he’d ever heard the term dragonkin. It was vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place it. 

Gabriel flipped the last cake with a satisfied hum and headed for the table. Once they’d been served he spoke with more certainty.

“Dragonkin are the children of dragons and humans. They’re mostly human, can’t transform at least not most of the time, but they often have magic and live longer, things like that.” Gabriel shoved a forkful of syrup and flour into his mouth.

Sam felt a flush of affection even as he shook his head. “Right, so if Cas is part dragon, then…” His eyes fell on Claire across the table.

She blinked then stopped with a bite halfway to her mouth. “Wait, me? I’m a dragon.”

Gabriel swallowed, “Part dragon kiddo, and your mom was a pretty cool mage before the old Lord to the west of here started getting stabby. That’s when I offered my protection. So yeah, chances are high that you’ll get some kind of power as you get older.”

Claire’s eye’s lit up. “Really?”

“Someday,” Sam said, trying to forstal the rush of questions that was bound to come next. “Right now you should be thinking about ways to apologise to Dean and Cas.” She winced and he nodded. “They’re probably really worried about you right now.”

“Like they’re worried about you?” She asked pointedly.

Sam looked down at his plate. He’d known Dean wouldn’t be happy. Before he’d met Gabriel, both of them had thought, hoped really, that Sam would come walking back out of the hills after he’d been sacrificed. Except Gabriel had been nothing like what he’d expected. 

In the days since he’d thought of Dean occasionally. He’d told himself over and over again that he was going to head back to town and explain everything, but something had always gotten in the way. He regretted that now.

“How are they?” He realised he was rubbing at the back of his neck and stopped.

Claire turned her fork over, rubbing her thumb along the handle. “Not good. Dean hasn’t lit up his forge in weeks. He drinks too much, then goes out into the hills. I hear him calling for you sometimes. Papa has to bring him back nearly every night.” her voice was quiet and she trailed off at the end. Finally she looked up at Sam, “please come home.”

“I will.” he promised immediately, then realized what he’d said and glanced at Gabriel. The dragon had said he could leave whenever he wanted, but…. 

Gabriel leaned over and pulled Sam into a kiss. Claire rolled her eyes. When he pulled back, Gabriel ran his fingers over the charm he’d given Sam.

“Go. Make a day of it. Tell your brother you’re fine.”

“Thank you.” There was a wellspring of emotions in his chest, but he couldn’t find the words, and over breakfast probably wasn’t the best time anyway.

Gabriel winked at him. “I need to talk to the goblins anyway, they’re been getting way too close. Need to remind them of my awesomeness.”

Sam let out a chuckle, and stood. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later then.” he stood, and carried his empty plate to the sink before turning to his niece. “You ready to go?”

She shoved a last forkful in her mouth and nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam had always enjoyed long walks and over the years he’d gotten to know the area around the village pretty well. He took them over the hills and down towards the lake with unerring ease. Even on foot it only took them a few hours, and they were walking up the main road towards the edge of town by the time lunch rolled around.

Of course as soon as they were close enough for people to recognise them, a commotion started up. Sam heard his name and Claire's being passed from person to person out ahead of them.  Then he caught sight of a dark head of hair and smiled. 

Claire ran ahead, practically jumping into her father’s arms. Cas pulled her tight to his chest, and tucked his head into her hair, then held her at arm's length, and looked her over critically.

Only when he was satisfied that she wasn’t hurt did he say, “You are in so much trouble young lady. What were you thinking?”

“Sorry, but dad was--” She bit her lip then clearly changed what she was going to say, “I found Sam.”

Sam stepped up next to them, “The way I understand it, Gabriel found you.”

Cas glanced at Sam, “Gabriel?” He drew out the word, not so much a “who is Gabriel”, as a “are you sure you want to mention the dragon in the middle of a crowd of onlookers”. Not that many people knew the dragon’s name. Sam certainly hadn’t.

“Later,” he agreed. “Dean?”

Cas breathed out slowly, “He will be glad to see you.” Cas wrapped an arm around Claire and turned back towards their home. The crowd started to disperse since there didn’t seem to be anything else to see, but Sam knew that within the hour the rumor mill would have dozens of reasons for his return circling. 

Dean was not at the house. Sam glanced into his forge briefly but he wasn’t surprised when it was empty too. There hadn’t been any smoke.

“He went looking for you.” Cas explained, then his eyes fell on Claire, “both of you.” She ducked her head.

“Bad?”

Cas nodded.

“I’m sorry, I should have come back sooner.”

“Yes, you should have.” Cas growled.

“I’m sorry,” Sam said again, “If it’s that bad then why didn’t you tell Dean about Gabriel? You guys are related, you had to know he wouldn’t hurt me.”

“He’s also a pure-blood dragon who is centuries old. The fact that his father had a dalliance with my mother, does not mean I know him any better than anyone else in town. And the last time it became known that I had connections to that world I had to flee for my life.”

Sam’s shoulders fell, the fight going out of him. He rubbed his hands on his pants, unsure if he should sit or go looking for Dean or what. His stomach decided for him by grumbling loudly. It eased the tension. 

They made sandwiches, and Sam sat out on the front stoop to eat his, both to keep an eye out for Dean and to assure anyone who came by that yes, he was back alive and unharmed. No one actually asked him about the dragon, but it was there in how they looked at him or didn’t quite look at him. In the past when someone was sacrificed, they came back the next day or not at all. For Sam it had been over two weeks.

He didn’t regret it exactly. He’d enjoyed every minute and was falling in love with Gabriel if he wasn’t already there. But the way Cas and Claire talked about Dean…. He needed to make this right.

 

\---

 

Dean came up the road at something close to a run. Sam had finished his lunch and was trying to figure out what to do next, so he was still out front. He stood in time for Dean to pull him into a bone crushing hug.

“Hey, I’m okay. I’m home.” Sam hesitated, because he’d started to think of Gabriel’s cave as home, but this was where he’d grown up. Was it really a lie? Dean didn’t seem to notice.

“Sam,” He took a deep breath and pulled back enough to get a good look at him, then punched him in the arm. “Don’t you ever do that again! What took you so long, and where’d you get the clothes?”

Sam looked down at himself. He was wearing some of the things gabriel had bought for him. The fabric of his tunic was light, strong and a shade of blue that would have been hard to come by even in a big city market. Sam remembered protesting when Gabriel had first given it to him, but compared to some of the other gifts it was pretty tame. It didn’t have any embroidery at least. His pants were made of a soft supple leather that made Gabriel stare at his ass in a way that made Sam blush, even when that was what he’d set out to do. This outfit alone was probably worth two or three months wages for anyone in town. Sam spared a guilty thought for the half dozen other outfits waiting for him back at the cave.

Sam shrugged, “A gift.”

Dean processed that, his emotions showing on his face as he went through puzzlement, scorn, anger, and settled on determination. 

“Come on,” he growled, and tugged at Sam’s arm until he followed him inside.

“Dean, what?” Sam asked when his brother had firmly closed the door and slid the latch into place. 

“It’s okay Sammy, whatever that thing did to you, we’re gonna fix it. You’re safe now.”

“What?” Sam asked again, because whatever logic Dean thought he was using, wasn’t actually logic.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Dean demanded out of nowhere.

“You dragging me in here?”

“Do you know where you were? Where it took you?”

“What? Stop--” He pushed away his brother’s hands when he tried to grab Sam again. “I’m fine, I know where I was. I know where I am now. Gabriel didn’t do anything to me.” Well nothing he hadn’t wanted anyway, and Dean so didn’t need those details.

“Gabriel?” Dean snarled.

“Yeah, the guy I was staying with, the dragon!” When he came to get me he was sick, and then I got sick and don’t look at me like that it was just a cold. Then he took me shopping because my clothes were a mess. I’m perfectly fine. Apparently I’m the only one though because Claire went riding out into the dark because you were worrying her and Cas to death.” His voice had risen until he was shouting.

Dean opened his mouth to retort, but Cas got there first. “Hey.” They both turned to where he stood in the doorway. “If the first thing you want to do now that Sam has returned is fight, I can’t stop you, but Both of you need to think about what an argument about the dragon just after you’ve returned that everyone in town can hear, will mean.” His expression is set, his jaw clenched and his eyebrows scream that he’s pissed. Dean’s hands turn into fists. He doesn’t say anything, but Sam knows he wants to.

And that’s when it really hits him: they were actually afraid. 

Knowing Gabriel, spending time with him, it was ridiculous. Except…. How many people had disappeared and not come back? Not because they hadn’t wanted to but because Gabriel had done something? How many people had gone after him, knights and heroes, and never been heard from again? He was certainly powerful enough. Hell, just that morning he’d joked about teaching the rock goblins a lesson. A single rock goblin could kill a man with one strike and they always traveled in groups. He was a good friend of one of the queens of fairy, so even if he wasn’t one of the strongest creatures in the kingdom he knew people who were whispered about in fear. 

He thought about how people never mentioned things that the dragon did, except in hushed tones, of “lost another sheep this week.” Hell they made sacrifices, human sacrifices, on a semi-regular basis.

Sam knew he’d been afraid at first. Getting led up to where they had the bonfire going and being tied in place. Gabriel’s actual entrance hadn’t been frightening though, and neither had anything he’d done since. It was all just jumping at shadows in the dark.

Sam turned and sat down on their lumpy old couch. Dean still looked angry but his shoulders had lost some of the tension.

“I’ll tell you about him, about everything.”


	4. Chapter 4

Dean burst out laughing.

It was after dark. They’d talked through the afternoon and into the evening. At one point Cas had taken over to explain about dragonkin and how he was actually a lot older then he looked. Apparently that was why the townsfolk had been distrustful of him for so long. Claire had gotten sucked in to tell about how Gabriel had rescued her. Sam hadn’t meant to mention the fairy princess thing, but it had come out through the wandering nature of the conversation.

Dean was never going to let him forget it..

Sam rolled his eyes and made a “yes, yes, you’re hilarious” face. He sipped at the beer they’d fetched at one point, and found the bottle empty. It was late. He hadn’t meant to let it get that late. He hadn’t brought a proper pack, just his rucksack. He had clothes from before his sacrifice so that was fine, but everything felt slightly off anyway. He’d gotten used to the Gabriel’s home.

He shook his head. Gabriel would understand.

“Well, I’m for bed.” He announced to the room. They wished him goodnight and he went up to his old room. It was just as he’d left it, apart from a bit of extra dust.

He lay there for a while before he was able to fall asleep.

 

~~*~~*~~*~~

 

Sam had planned to head back to the cave the next morning, but things kept getting in the way. 

Dean still wasn’t happy about him leaving even if he was willing to give Gabriel a chance. Sam promised he’d come back after he let Gabriel know what was going on, but it was no use. Dean insisted on coming along.

Then Crowley had shown up, with Pepper the horse in tow. Crowley went on and on about them trying to steal his horse. She’d apparently lost a shoe at some point during Claire’s ride and come wandering back to her stall early the next morning.

Dean finally shut him up by promising to replace the shoe for free, but that meant he had to get his forge up running. Sam got conscripted into working the bellows. It was hot and tiring work, but he was used to it. He didn’t really mind helping out.

Once people saw the smoke everyone seemed to find some excuse to come round to gawk at him some more. Dean admitted that he’d let the blacksmith work lag while Sam was away so there were actually things that needed to be done. He still wouldn’t let Sam leave without him though.

Then Ms. Mills had come round and asked how he was, and insisted they both come over for a late lunch. Sam couldn’t say no to the woman who had been like a mother to him after his own mom had died.

Sam was already mapping out the path to the cave in his head after the meal when he was cornered by Hendrickson. As head of the city council he insisted Sam come to the mayor's office and give a full accounting of the night of the sacrifice and everything that had followed. Sam had been hearing whispered rumors all day. Telling Dean was one thing, but he wasn’t going to tell the whole town. It was none of their business. 

Hendrickson wasn’t happy with that answer. Sam stood in unimpressed silence, while the man threatened him with vague portents of doom. By the time Hendrickson had given up and stalked away reds and yellows were overtaking the blue of the sky. Sam sighed and admitted that if he headed out now he wouldn’t get there until a while after dark. Dean didn’t know the hills as well as Sam did so if the magic around Gabriel’s cave got ahold of him, he’d be out there without the knowledge of how to get back.

Sam gave in and let Dean lead him back to the house where Cas was making dinner.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam was waiting while Dean filled a bag with whatever he thought he needed when Claire came up to him the next morning.

“The dragon… Gabriel… is in the lake,” she said in the low tones most of the town used to talk about Gabriel.

Sam considered this. The town was split about 60-40 in favor of farmers rather than fishermen, but when Gabriel had taken over the lake in the past, it closed everything down. All boats stayed in the dock, or were beached if they’d already headed out. Everyone who didn’t work on the water got themselves and their family indoors and tried not to attract any attention. After the day before, Sam knew Hendrickson would blame this on him.

Claire was glancing at the door and back to him. She didn’t look scared, if anything she looked excited. Screw it if he was going to get blamed he might as well have a little fun in the process. 

“Want to go swimming?”

She beamed and ran to get her things.

They headed out with Sam carrying the towels and Claire running ahead. The normally busy main street was empty. Sam could hear the splashing from the waterfront and once saw a flash of gold as Gabriel stretched out his wings. Claire ran straight down the dock, kicking off her shoes as she went, and made a sizable splash as she hit the water. Gabriel raised an arm to block the water, then raised his head and let out a roar of smoky laughter.

Sam kicked off his own shoes and plopped down on the end of the dock, “Hey”

Gabriel grinned very wide with lots of teeth. “Samm-a-lamb,” he said into Sam’s mind, “you’re here! I thought someone might have had you tied to a chair.”

“Na, just got really busy yesterday. What would you have done if I was tied to a chair?”

“Well every princess needs a dashing, handsome, clever--”

“Yeah yeah. God, you and Dean both. I’m never going to live that down am I?”

Gabriel shrugged. On a dragon it was a very large gesture. “Probably not.”

Claire swam up to Gabriel and he dutifully lifted his tail so she could climb up onto his shoulder. “This is awesome! Hey Sam!” She waved and he waved back with a smile. Gabriel winked then shrugged so she wobbled and slid down his back like a slide. She came up laughing and spitting out water. 

“We should talk later.” Sam said to Gabriel before he gave in and joined them. It was nice. Sam had spent a lot of time inside since he and Gabriel had become a thing, so the chance to push himself was welcome. Gabriel and Claire were both clearly having fun. Sam kept an eye on the town as he joined in.

It took three hours before Dean stomped determinedly down the dock, with Cas trailing on his heels looking resigned.

“Hey Dean,” Sam called out, before his brother could build up any momentum.

Dean opened his mouth, then closed it again and shook his head. 

Cas watched this, then came to his rescue. “I believe Dean is worried about the impression this will leave on the rest of the town. You were gone for a long time, and then Claire disappeared as well. Then the next time... ” Cas gestured at Gabriel, “If they don’t think you’re under some spell, then they’ll think you’re a traitor.” Cas didn’t sound happy about it, if anything he sounded resigned.

Sam swam lazily over to the end of the dock and lifted himself out of the water. “I spent two hours yesterday being threatened by Hendrickson because I refused to say bad things about Gabriel” he snagged a towel, got the worst of the water out of his hair, and wrapped it around his waist. “I’m staying with Gabriel. I mean, I’d like to come visit, but if the choice is Gabriel or the small-minded bigots on the city council, I choose Gabriel. I’m not afraid of them.” 

As he said it Sam realized how true it was. He’d been with Gabriel for less than a fortnight and his world was already a hundred times bigger and more amazing. He wanted to see it all, and he wanted Gabriel by his side the whole time. He turned to his dragon and looked up into those swirling golden eyes.

Gabriel flexed his wings and a moment later was standing on the dock, still dripping and without a shred of clothing. “Aww Sam, I love you to.” Sam knew he was blushing as Gabriel tugged him down into a kiss. “Now tell me who this Hendrickson guy is so I can put the fear of me into him.”

Sam gave Gabriel his towel, because at least he was wearing swimming trunks and Dean seemed to be scarred enough. “I think that’s the problem actually. No one here knows you so they’re all terrified. You probably wouldn’t have to hide so much if you didn’t, well, hide so much.”

Sam glanced over at Dean and Cas, trying to gauge their reactions as much as Gabriel’s. Dean’s expression was stuck somewhere between confusion and surprise. Cas seemed to be more concerned with not looking at his naked sort of brother figure. He’d coaxed Claire out of the water and was wrapping her in a towel.

“Here, Gabriel, this is my brother Dean, and you already know Cas. Dean, this is my boyfriend, Gabriel.”

Dean stuck out his hand purely on reflex. “Hi.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Sam nodded, satisfied. “If you get dressed I could show you around town.”

A grin slowly grew across Gabriel’s face. Sam had a brief moment to wonder if this was a really bad idea. If it was, then the whole thing was probably a bad idea, and it wasn’t like he was going to turn back now. 

Gabriel snapped his fingers and was suddenly completely dry and wearing a suit fit for a king. He looped his arm through Sams, and gestured for the others to lead the way. 

“You’re not going to let this go are you?” Cas asked, resigned.

“Oh come on bro, Sammy’s right, it’s time the people met their liege.”

“I’m taking Claire back to the house to get changed.” Cas said, clearly getting out of there while he could.

  
  


~~*~~*~~*~~

 

They ended up at the roadhouse, because given the choice Sam was going to keep Gabriel away from crowley for as long as he could, and there really were only the roadhouse and the inn that served food. They could have just gone home (either Gabriel’s cave or Dean’s house) and made something themselves, but that would have defeated the purpose.

When they’d walked it, Ellen had put her hands on her hips, given Gabriel a long appraising look and asked if he was going to be a problem.

“Not planning on it. I was just looking for a drink and Sam’s told me you make some amazing cider.”

Sam just shrugged when Ellen's eyes fell on him. 

“Fine,” she said after a tense moment. “Sit wherever you want. It’s not like I’ll get any other customers with you lot here.”

Gabriel chose the table in the center of the room and made himself comfortable. 

By the time they’d finished eating the alcohol had loosened Dean up enough to start asking questions. Sam settled back, keeping part of his mind of the conversation in case it wandered into dangerous or embarrassing territory, but mostly just letting himself relax. When a few of the older kids in town started peaking around the doorframe, Sam waved at them. From there word spread. 

Like before when people came by just to gawk and Sam, the townsfolk made excused to pass by Ellen’s door. Gabriel made sure he was in clear view but otherwise, just kept chatting with Dean. The fact that they seemed to like each other worried Sam more than all the reactions of the townsfolk put together.

They wandered out into the town square in the evening, once Ellen had started giving them pointed looks. 

There was a crowd outside town hall. People were pointing up at Hendrickson and the other council members, demanding they do something in loud whispers, as if Gabriel would somehow hear them. To be fair, they were now close enough that he could.

Slowly the crowd noticed the three people standing at the edge of the square, and went silent. Everyone stared at them. Sam was kind of afraid to move in case it caused a panic. 

“You know I never asked for the human sacrifice thing.”

Sam closed his eyes as if that would stop the crowd from reacting to Gabriel’s words.

“I mean paying for my protection, yes, but you could have just sent me a few sheep and some apples or something, or bacon. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get properly cured bacon when the only people who will deal with you are fairies?”

Sam opened his eyes, purely to glare at Gabriel. Except that was when Dean burst out laughing. To be fair, Dean was pretty drunk by that point. Sam peeked over at the crowd. Most of them seemed unsure. Glancing at their neighbors to see what they should do.

“We never agreed to your rule.” Hendrickson growled into the silence.

Gabriel shrugged, “Not you no, I mean it’s been a few hundred years, so the council who agreed to it would all be dead now.” He squinted out over the crowd. “Hey, are you the guy who was bothering my Sammy yesterday?”

“He should never have been yours.”

Gabriel shrugged again, “Yeah well, he gets to decide that, not you. And that’s not the point anyway. Giving him the third degree like that is just rude. If you have a problem with how I protect these lands you should come to me.”

Sam let his head fall into his hands. “Gabriel, how are they supposed to do that if they think you’re going to eat them the moment they step forward?”

Gabriel rolled his eyes and turned to the crowd, “I don’t eat people. An innocent man has nothing to fear from me. And I’m going to be coming around a lot more often so get used to it.” He nodded to himself as if that settled everything. “Home?” 

Sam couldn’t help but smile. Gabriel’s declaration was probably going to cause a wealth of problems in the next few weeks, but in that moment all he wanted to do was go home with his dragon and curl up in their hoard until they both fell asleep drunk on kisses.

“Yeah, take me home.”

Sam promised Dean he’d be back soon as Gabriel scattered the crowd by transforming, and moment later they were surrounded by the open sunset colored sky.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is.  
> I hope you've all enjoyed this universe because this is the end. Sam and Gabriel literally flying off into the sunset and everyone is happy and fluffy all around. I did have a lot of ideas about dragons and dragonkin and world-building, but then i realized that's not what this universe is about! Still if anyone would like to hear it I go by litrapod over on tumblr.   
> :)


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